Wedding of Larry Brown Jr. and Candice Sheckleford

About the WeddingOur wedding took place on Nov. 18, 2011 at The Madison Hotel.

The GroomLarry Brown Jr., Social Network Project Manager at the NAACP.

The BrideCandice Sheckleford, works at the National Transportation and Safety Board.

How We MetLarry knew that Candice was his wife-to-be when he didn’t have to show her the person he wants to be, but was comfortable sharing with her the person he is. “I can be 100 percent Larry around her and not someone else,” he said. Daily online chatting turned to phone conversations, which soon turned into the two being inseparable. Larry first noticed her at a Bible study at their church, Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church in Washington, D.C. in 2005. She doesn’t remember it, but Larry was cracking jokes and she shushed him. They would see each other around, and it wasn’t until the Drama Ministry’s Christmas party in 2006 that they connected. “My first impression was that she's gorgeous,” he said. “We talked the whole night.” The couple began sitting together in church and were definitive about their relationship. Whether they decided to enter into a relationship, they agreed that they would always be friends. “We definitely had labels,” he said. “We weren't ashamed to say we’re in love. I would make it clear that we're not "talking," but that she's my girlfriend and I'm courting her."

Favorite StoryThey anchor their relationship with annual trips to the zoo, basketball games, baseball games and spontaneous outings, including their favorite date: Chuck E. Cheese.“We went to play skee ball,” he said. “We won a bunch of tickets and gave them to a kid having a birthday party.”Cherishing their friendship first, they’ve kept it old school and don’t live together yet. Larry said that developing this relationship has made him a better person.“Courting Candice has been different because it’s allowed me to really examine myself. I want to be my best self for her,” he said.-Akeya Dickson